Downton, Wiltshire

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Sarum Morris perform at the 2006 Cuckoo Fair in Downton.

Downton is a large village in Wiltshire, England situated around 7 miles south of Salisbury, but once it was one of Englands smallest towns. In the 2001 census the population of Downton was 2,869.

Downton can be traced its ancient origin back to the Iron Age, Roman and Saxon time. Remains can be found in the form of a Norman motte and bailey castle. Which now plays host to The Moot Garden a 18th Century ornamental gardens overlooking the river. It contain an ancient monument known as the Moot, which commemorates the meeting place of Wiltshire Saxons, and one of the oldest of English moots or local parliaments a legacy left over for the Bishop of Winchesters time of owning lands Downton.

The River Avon flows through Downton, and is the source of occasional flooding in the village (which has now had major flood defence work down in 2002). The Watermeadows, fields through which irrigation channels were made using weirs and channelling, use the water from this river.

Downton has a number of local pubs; “The Wooden Spoon”, “The King's Arms”, “The White Horse” and “The Bull”. Home of one of Englands award wining breweries Hop Back Brewery, brewers of Summer Lightning, Crop Circle, GFB and other beers.

The White Horse Inn recently received interest in the national and local press when its licence to serve alcohol ran out due to an oversight. Until the inn was able to renew its licence, during the intervening time, from early January 2007 until February 2nd 2007, locals were invited to purchase any alcohol they wished to consume at the Co-op supermarket next door. They were allowed to bring their beer, wine and spirits into the White Horse for consumption with or without food. The inn continued to offer soft drinks for sale, including some specially created non-alcoholic cocktails, whose names depicted the situation!

Downton is the site for the annual Cuckoo Fair, which has been held on the Saturday of the May Day Bank Holiday weekend since the sixteenth century. The fair, also known as the Cuckoo Moot a country fair including crafts, traditional dancing (including Maypole dancing), street entertainment and music.

Development around the village has seen the expansion of the industrial estate with a business centre and the old tannery, which closed in 1998, has since been converted into luxury apartments (a mixture of Retirement homes & flats).

Previous residents of the village were the British actress Diana Dors .